Typewriting machine



' y 1933. w. F. 'HELMOND ,37

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1951 2" Sheets-Sheet l In venfor:

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y 1933- w. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1931 Patented July 4, 1933 i-nurrsn stares PATENT orrica WILLIAM F. HEL'EGND, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO UNDERWOOD "ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, 61 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TYTPEWRITING MACHINE Application filed July 22,

This invention relates to a work-sheet guiding bail for the revoluble platen in a typewriting machine, and having rolls to run upon the upper front face of the platen; the bail being movable to cast the rolls ofi from the platen.

Objects of the invention are to avoid hindering the movements of the operator when making erasures, and'to avoid obstructing the view of the work when erasing, and also to avoid creasing or wrinkling the worksheets or carbons.

Another object is to avoid the usual'tendency of the bail when swung down against the platen, to jar the work-sheet slightly downward, causing the same to bulge or buckle away from the platen, thus giving rise to inperfect type-impressions and other objections. i

A further object is to enable the bail and the work-sheet and platen to be manipulated with ease and celerity.

A feature of the invention is that a rigid bail, including a rod that carries the rolls, is slidably and rockably mounted to be operated by a rock-shaft, j ournaled in the ends of the platen-frame, and operable by a key. The bail-rod may be shifted well away from the front of the platen or it may be swung to one of two otherjprincipal positions. These movements are effected by the aid of a pair of cranks fixed upon said rock-shaft.

rock-shaft, and may normally hold the rolls yieldingly in contact with the platen or work-sheet above the printing line, and may also lock the bail in three released positions.

The side arms'of the sliding bail are laterally guided perpendicularly to the rockshaft, by means of stops secured on said shaft and co-operating with the cranks. The interior faces of the cranks act as an abutment or counter-guide, and each of said side arms is provided with a longitudinally slotted head 1931. Serial No. 552,370.

and with a projection carrying a: crank-pin. A further feature is that the rolls are now positively brought against the platen in such a way that they force the work-sheet to hugthe front part of the platen,- and thussmooth out bulges or buckling Another advantage is that the operator may cast the bail off from the platen with the right hand, while holding the work-sheet in the left hand, and that the rolls may be restored to the platen without the necessity of touching the inserted sheet with the fingers.

This new bail may be readily substituted for the paper-finger mechanism of a standard Underwood typewriter, as the rock-shaft may be journaled in the holes that are already provided in a standard Underwood typl writer for the paper-finger shaft; the novel overthrow spring being attached to the platen-frame on the stud of the usual feedroll release handle.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. 3 i

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing in printing position the platen-frame of an Underwood standard typewriting machine having the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view corre sponding to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view, similar to Figure 2, showing the front feedrolls arranged above the writing line, moved forwardly away from the laten, for allowing the insertion of a wor sheet into the machine.

Figures 4 and 5 are similar side views, showing the front feed-rolls swung above and behind the platen, respectively, in two different released positions, the first of which is specially provided for making erasures.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary to plan view,

corresponding to Figures 1 an 2.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 show the spring means which locks the roll-carrying bail in the positions of adjustment shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, respectively. a

In the drawings 10 indicates the platen with its right-hand knob 11 journaled in the end plates 12 of the platen-frame of a standard Underwood typewriter. v 13 indicates one of the cover-plates fixed oyer the upper flanges of the end plates 12, 14 the papertable with its apron-shaped extension around thebottom of the platen 10, and 15 the lower struction.

According to the invention, a rock-shaft 20 is journaled in said holes 19 instead of said paper-finger shaft, and projects on the rightand side beyond the platen-frame 12, 13. A handle 21 is secured at the end of said projecting part. A pair of forked cranks 22 are also secured by means of set-screws 23 on the rock-shaft 20 in abutting relation with the inside walls of the end plates 12, so as to hold said shaft against lateral displacement. Two stop-collars 24, onl one of which is shown, are similarly fixed b rock-shaft 20, so as to form with the cranks 22 two pairs of lateral guides for heads 26 of the side arms 27 of the bail, which heads have longitudinal slots 26.

Each of said heads 26 is provided with a projection 28 carrying a crank-pin 29, which works within the forked end of the corresponding crank 22.

A rod 30, carrying the upper rolls 31, is riveted or otherwise connected to-the opposite reinforced ends 32 of the side arms 27, so as to form a bail held against lateral displacement along the i'ock-shaft 20 by means of the cranks 22 and collars 24, but free to rotate as a whole with said shaft, or to slide perpendicularly thereto in a substantially horizontal direction, guided by the slots 26" of the side arm heads 26, the rod remaining always perfectly parallel to the rock-shaft 20, during these movements, by means of the parallel cranks 22 fixed to said rock-shaft.

On the right-hand side only of the machine is mounted a spring 33, fixed at one end to the usual stud 18 of the feed-roll releasemechanism and having its opposite end attached to an internally cam-shaped floating ring 34, shaped as shown so as to play around therock-shaft 20 without touching it and to be constantly pulled by the spring 33 against a fixed stud 35 screwed into the end plate 12, and against a movable stud 36 forming the cross-pin of a fork 37 radially secured to the rock-shaft 20 between the handle 21 and the end plate 12. The whole floating spring-and- 5 detent attachment thus formed is enclosed 34 has two notches 38, 39 connected on one side by a ramp 40 and on the other side by a circular portion 41 of about 270 degrees. These notches serve as seats for the movable stud 36 in the four operative positions of the bail 27 30, as will be described hereinafter.

The floating ring is further provided with I a forked extension 42, one arm of which prey set-screws 25 upon the sents internally near its end a notch 43. The bottom or vertex of the slot of said extension and the notch 43 serve as seats for the fixed stud 35, as will be later on explained.

A pair of rests 44, fixed to the end plates 12, support the bail in a horizontal position during its shiftin toward or away from the platen. 45 indicates the work-sheet.

The operation is as follows: .The worksheet or pack 45 is inserted over the rear paper-table 14 and downward] between the platen and the bottom feed-r0 Is 15. While the left hand holds the work-sheet, the right hand de resses the fingeriece 21, thereby slidingt e bail and rolls 31 orward from the laten to the extreme forward osition at igure 3, due to the operation 0 the rockshaft 20, and the cranks 22. The bail kee s its horizontal position by its own weig t upon the rests 44. The fork 37, by means of the ring 34, overthrows the spring 33, which now tends to keep the bail in this forward position.

The operator then revolves the laten by the right hand, thereb feeding t e worksheet around and u tot e front of the platen in typing osition s own at Figure 3.

The rol s 31 are restored to the platen, either b pushing directl the bail 27, 30, or by lifting the handle 21 ack to its initial po- 7 sition.

During this movement the bail is held by gravit upon the rests 44. At the conclusion 0 this restoring movement, the rolls 31 slide or roll tangentially upwards upon the .platen, while the bail is slightly rocked about the shaft 20, and its side arms 27 are slightly raised above the rests 44. The rolls 31 tend thus to stretch or iron out the portion of the work-sheet over the front of the platen, thereby smoothing out any bulges or buckling of the work-sheet near the rinting line.

The spring 33, which has been at this time overthrown again above the axis of the rockshaft 20, then tends to turn said shaft in counterclockwise direction, i. e., to press the rolls 31 and the work-sheet down against the platen.

When making erasures, the bail is lifted to stand almost vertically to clear the space in front of the platen; the rock-shaft 20 being rotated by the crank-pins 29, and the spring overthrown under the rock-shaft axis by the fork 37, as shown at Figure 4. A state of equilibrium occurs, due to the weight of the rolls 31, tending to rock the shaft 20 in counterclockwise direction, and to the action of the spring 33 tending to turn said shaft in the opposite direction. yieldably retained in this raised position as long asneeded.

The bail may be swung further back to the The bail is thus oblique position shown in Figure 5, either by miner: 11

tion. This movement of the bail stops when the stud 36 enters the notch 39, as the ring 34, then pivoting upon the fixed stud 35 acts as a stop to prevent any further rotation in this direction of the fork 37. The spring 33 during this last movement is also overthrown under the rock-shaft axis, and thus tends to keep the bail in this fully released position, entirely out of the way of the operator.

To return the bail in its operative position, the operator may lift the handle 21 or the rod may be swung directly forward.

Variations may be resorted to Within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and a platenframe, of a roll-bearing rod extending longitudinally in front of said platen, side arms having outer ends spanned by said rod, said side arms extending rearwardly and having inner ends whereby the bail formed by said rod and arms is slidablyand also swingably mounted at the ends of said platen-frame at points behind the platen, means for so mounting said bail, and operative for slldlng the entire bail forwardly to bring the rolls from their normal position in contact with the platen to a position in front of the platen, said means also being operative for swinging said ball upwardly and rearwardly, and means effective for yieldably holding the ball so that the rolls bear on the platen.

2. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and a platenframe, of a roll-bearing rod extending longitudinally in front of said platen, side arms having outer ends spaprned by said rod, sa1d side arms extending rearwardly and having inner ends whereby the bail formed by said 1 rod and arms is slidably and also swingably mounted at the ends of said platen-frame at points behind the platen, means for so mounting said bail, and operative for sliding the entire bail forwardly to bring the rolls from theirnormal position in contact with the platen to a position in front of the platen, said means also being operative for swinging said bail upwardly and rearwardlv, and means efiective for yieldably holding the bail in any of its adjusted positions.

3. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and a'plate'nframe, of a rock-shaft jonrnaled in said frame behind said platen, a bail including a roll-bearing rod in front of said platen and also including side arms, said side arms being pivotally and slidably mounted upon said shaft, means co-operating with said rock-shaft and side arms for sliding said bail forwardly to bring its rod forwardly of said platen from the normal position in which the rolls are against said platemsaid means also bein effective to swing said bail and rod upwar ly and rearwardly, a single overthrow spring, and devices co-operating therewith for holding the bail so thatthe laten, said 7 same rolls bear against said ing efiective to spring and devices also hold the bail in either of its releasedposi tions. a Y

' 4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and a platen-frame, ofa

bail having a rod extending lengthwise of and in front of the entire platen, side arms spanned at one end by said rod and pro-- vided at their other ends with slots, a rockshaft j'ournaled in said frame in rear of said platen and slidably supporting the slotted ends of said arms, means co-operating with said rock-shaft for sliding said bail towards and away from the platen, rolls on said rod, and spring means co-operating with said last-mentioned means and rock-shaft, urging said bail, while in its normal position,.to swing and thereby hold said rolls pressed against the platen. I

5. In a typewriting machine, the 'combination with a platen, a platen-frame, and rolls running upon the laten above the printing line, of a roek-sha t journaled in said frame behind and parallel to said platen, a bail carrying said rolls swingable about and also radially slidable upon said rock-shaft, and a crank-connection between said rock-shaft and said bail for sliding and swinging said bail in parallelism with said platen.

6. In a typewriting;machine, the combination with a platen, a platen-frame, and rolls running upon the platen above the printing i line, ofa rock-shaft journaled in saidframe behind said'platen, a swinging bail carrying said rolls and radially slidable upon said rock-shaft, 'instrumentalities to move said bail to its operative position or to three different released positions, said instrumentalities including said rock-shaft anda crankconnection between said rock-shaft and said bail, a single overthrow spring, and a floating detent-member pulled upon bv said said spring and arranged to control said reckshaft for pressing said rolls against the platen in the operative position of said bail and for holding said bail in each of three released positions. 1

8. In a front-strike typewriting machine, in combination with the platen, the platenframe, and the rolls of said machine, a rockshaft journaled in said frame behind said platen, a swinging and sliding bail extending the full length of said platen, said bail carrying said rolls and having side arms provided with a pair of slotted heads ivotally and slidably mounted upon said roc -shaft, stopcollars fixed on said rock-shaft in abutting relation with the inner sides of said heads, and cranks fastened to said rock-shaft connecting said rock-shaft and said bail so that the latter may swing with said rock-shaft or slide radially thereon in parallelism with the platen, said'eranks abutting the outer sides of said heads, so as to form with said stopcollars pairs of lateral guides for the sliding movements of said bail.

9. In a front-strike typewriting machine, in combination with the platen, the platenframe and the upper pressure-rolls of said machine, a rock-shaft ournaled in the ends of said frame and behind the platen, a pair, of inwardly-projecting studs fixed to said frame-ends and spaced forward of said shaft,

a bail having side arms slidably supported on said shaft and said studs, said bail carrying said rolls, means cooperating with said rock-shaft for sliding said bail rearwardly or forwardly toward or away from said platen upon said rock-shaft and said studs, and means for causing said rolls to press yieldingly on the platen when said bail is slidden rearward] y to the platen, said bail alsobeing swingable upwardly and rearwardly from said platen and studs.

10. A roller-bail-mechanism for a frontstrike typewriting machine having a platen and a platen-frame, said mechanism including a rock-shaft journaled in said frame behind said platen, a finger-piece for'the end of said shaft, a bail having rolls running upon the upper front side of the platen, said bail having side arms slidable radially of said shaft, and being rockable with said rock-shaft, rests on said platen-frame to slidably support the front ends of said arms, said bail being connected to said rock-shaft so that said rolls are shifted forward away from the platen in a substantially horizontal direction and are returned in abutting position against the platen when said shaft is turned by means of said finger-piece and spring means co-operating with said shaft and its connections to said bail for holding yieldingly said rolls pressed rearwardly against the platen.

11. A bail-mechanism for a front-strike typewriting machine having a platen and a platen-frame, including a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a swinging bail having side arms provided with slotted heads connected to said shaft for sliding said bail radially on said rock-shaft besides swinging said bail with said shaft, rolls on said bail, a-single overthrow spring anchored to a stud in said frame, and a floating detent connected to said spring, said s ring, detent and shaft co-operating for hol ing said rolls yieldingly pressed against the platen.

12. The combination with a platen and platen-frame,.of a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a handle on said shaft, an overthrow spring anchored to said frame and loosely attached to said shaft, instrumentalities for overthrowin the loose point of attachment of said spring above or under the dead line joining the center of said shaft to the fixed point of anchorage of said spring, a bail with slotted side arms sliding or swinging on said rock-shaft, a crank-connection between said bail and said rock-shaft, and rolls on said bail normally kept yieldingly pressed against the platen by the action of said spring.

13. In a typewriting machine, the. combination with a platen and platen-frame, of a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a rigid bail rockably and shiftably mounted upon said shaft, rolls slidably mounted on said bail, an overthrow spring for holding said rolls yieldingly pressed against the platen or holding said bail fast in various released positions, and means actuated by the displacement of said bail for automatically controlling the operative positions of said spring.

14. In a typewriting machine, the comblnation with a platen and platen-frame, of rolls mounted on a rod, side arms firmly secured at one end to said rod and longitudmally slotted at their other end, a downward projection on each of said slotted ends, crank-pins secured to said projections, a rockshaft journaled in the platen frame and having a detent-arm, forked cranks secured to said shaft and co-operating with said crank-' pins, :1. floating detent, effective upon the shift of the same to en age said detent-arm in different positions 0 angular adjustment of said shaft, an overthrow spring anchored to the platen-frame and actin on said detent so as to press said rolls yiefdingly against the platen or to hold them in various released positions, and a handle secured on the end of said rock-shaft for operating simultaneously said detent, rock-shaft and spring.

15. in a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and platen-frame, of a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a bail carrying rolls and hinged on said shaft with a radial play, a crank-connection between said bail and said shaft effective upon rotation of said shaft to swing said bail with said shaft or to shift said bail radially of said shaft, an overthrow s ring anchored at one end thereof to said frame, and a fioatin detent, connected to the other end of sai spring, engaging a detent-device on said shaft and acting upon said shaft so as tghold said rolls yieldingly pressed against the platen or in diiferent released positions.

anchored at one end to said frame and fixe at the other end to an internally cam-shaped rin loosely and rockably mounted u on said roc -shaft, and'a crank-connection tween said ring and said rock-shaft.

17. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a 'platen and platen-frame, of a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a bail carrying rolls and hinged on said shaft with a radial play a crank-connection between said ,bail and said shaft, an overthrow sprin anchored at one end to said frame. and fixe at the other end toa ring loosel and eccentrically mounted upon said roc -shaft, said shaft having means projected radially therefrom and articulated with said ring, a forked extension of said ring with a longer arm provided with a notch, and a stud fixed to the platen-frame and working in said fork and notch.

18. In atypewriting machine, the combination with a'platen and platen-frame,"of a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a bail carrying rolls and hinged on said shaft with a radial play, a crank-connection between said bail and said shaft, and an overthrow spring anchored at one end to said frame and fixed at the other end to an internally camshaped floating detent-ring rockable about two studs, one stud fixed to the platen-frame and one stud eccentrically revoluble with and fastened to said rock-shaft, said ring having a forked radial extension in which plays the stud fixed to the platen-frame.

19. In atypewriting machine, the combination with a platen and platen-frame, of a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a bail carrying rolls and hin ed on said shaft with a radial play, a cran -connection between said bail and said shaft, and an overthrow spring anchored at one'end to said frame and fixed at the other end to an internally camshaped floating detentrring rockable about two studs, one stud fixed to the laten-frame' and one stud eccentrically revolu le with and fastened to said rock-shaft, the internal riphery of said cam presenting two notc es connected on one side by a circular portion and on the other side by a. ramp, while the external periphery thereof presents a forked' extension with a notch, the two first-mentioned notches serving as seats for said movable stud, while said last-mentioned notch and the vertex of said fork serve as seats for said fixed stud.

20. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and platen-frame, of a' rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a bail connected on one side by a circular portion and on the other side by a ramp, while-the external periphery thereof presents a forked extension with a notch, the two first-mentioned notches serving as seats for said stud,

while saidrlast-mentioned notch and the vertex of said fork serve as seats for said fixed stud, the movable stud, when seated in the lower notchof said cam in the full released position of the bail, actin as a stop to limit the backward rotation of die bail, in co-operation with said fixed stud, then seated at the bottom or vertex of the slot of said forked extension.

21. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen and a platenframe, of a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, aroll-carrying bail having side arms slidable on said shaft for castingofl the rolls in one direction by sliding the entire bail transversely of said shaft, means connecting said bail and-shaft toeifect such sliding of the bail in conjunction with the rotation of said shaft, said connecting means effective to swing said bail in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft to cast ofi' said rolls in another direction, and spring-pressed detentmeans arranged to yieldably hold said shaft in different positions of angular adjustment correlated to the normal and different castofl' positions of said bail.

22. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen and a platenframe, of a rock-shaft journaled in said frame, a. roll-carrying bail having side arms slidable on said shaft for casting ofi the rolls in' one direction by sliding the entire bail transversely of said shaft, means connectin said bail and shaft to effect such sliding o bail in con'unction with the rotation of said shaft, sai connecting means efl'ective .to

swing said bail in conjunction with the I'otaofi positions of said bail, said spring-pressed .detent-means arranged so that in the normal tion of the shaft to cast off said rolls in anposition of the bail, said shaft is urged to rotate in such direction as to cause the rolls to be p against said platen.

F. minnow). 

